I’ve been doing a lot of research and reading through the posts on this forum, and I’ve decided I want to get a Hokkaido. My question is, is it better to import one from Japan, or find a breeder in the states? I’m in Northern California, as my name suggests. Any help on the pros and cons of each would be highly appreciated.

AFAIK, if you're serious about being involved in the Hokkaido club in the USA and helping the breed, imports from Japan are needed and wanted.

If you are looking for a pet, the above responses are great, too! And may be great to at least reach out to, anyway.

@PoetikDragon is currently in Japan (AFAIK), but their kennel is Kaiju Kennel@Lindsayt is Hokusei Kashinoki and Umma's litter is through her kennel.@LexterGrace is Apricity Kennel, and just had her litter placed in their new homes.

I have litter plans in the works for later in the year and into next, but if you are interested in breed preservation, I would encourage importing due to the high rate of CEA affected dogs already here. However, having owners on my waitlist who are open to the idea of collaborating with local breeders about keeping a puppy from one of us intact, does weigh more heavily in potential placement of any domestic puppies.